SALT LAKE CITY – Sunday was Jaylyn Sherrod’s turn to spark the Colorado women’s basketball team.
The freshman point guard had a career-high 19 points and her first career double-double to lead the Buffaloes to an 80-70 victory against Utah in the Pac-12 opener for both teams at the Huntsman Center.
CU (12-0, 1-0 Pac-12) matched the second-best start in program history and snapped a seven-game losing streak in conference openers.
Sherrod added 10 assists and a season-high seven rebounds to her team-best 19 points. She is the seventh different player to lead CU in scoring during the first 12 games of the season.
Mya Hollingshed added 17 points and nine rebounds for the Buffs, who also got 14 points from Emma Clarke and 10 from Aubrey Knight.
Sherrod had seven of her points in the final 6 minutes, 28 seconds, helping the Buffs to pull away. Utah (7-5, 0-1) tied the game, 63-63, on a 3-pointer by Kiana Moore with 7:46 to play, but CU outscored the Utes 17-7 down the stretch.
The Buffs opened the scoring with a Clarke 3-pointer 28 seconds into the game and never trailed against the Utes. A pair of Sherrod layups to open the third quarter gave the Buffs their biggest lead, 46-30.
Utah quickly responded with a 10-0 run and kept chipping away until Moore’s 3 tied the game.
CU never buckled, despite Utah’s surge. After Moore’s game-tying 3-pointer, the Buffs went on a 7-0 run and forced four straight Utah turnovers. In addition to Sherrod’s strong finish, Peanut Tuitele had a pair of buckets and Clarke and Hollingshed both hit 3s in the game-clinching run.
Freshman Lola Pendande had a game-high 20 points for Utah. She made her first nine shots before finishing 9-for-11.
The Buffs are off to a 12-0 start for the first time since the 2011-12 season. The 1980-81 team also started 12-0. The 1992-93 Buffs had the best start in program history, at 15-0.
Notable
Senior Quinessa Caylao-Do returned after missing two games with a concussion. She came off the bench and posted three points. … Clarke scored in double figures for the seventh time this season. … The Buffs are 2-7 all-time in Pac-12 openers. Both wins – on Sunday and on Dec. 31, 2011 – came at Utah.
Fast break
What went right: The Buffs got off to a hot start, taking a 13-point lead just six minutes into the game and never really lost their edge. Throughout the night, they shot the ball well (48.3 percent), rebounded well (40-27 advantage) and kept their composure late.
What went wrong: CU couldn’t handle Utah freshman Lola Pendande (20 points) and struggled defensively in the third quarter to let the Utes back in the game.
Star of the game: Jaylyn Sherrod. The freshman posted the first double-double of her career with 10 assists, and career highs in points (19) and rebounds (seven).
Whatap next: On Friday, the Buffs visit No. 2 Oregon, followed by a Sunday trip to No. 3 Oregon State.
Colorado 80, Utah 70
COLORADO (12-0, 1-0 Pac-12)
Sherrod 6-13 6-8 19, Clarke 4-11 4-6 14, Hollingshed 7-13 0-0 17, Knight 4-7 2-2 10, Whittaker 2-4 0-0 5, Caylao-Do 1-3 0-0 3, Finau 1-1 2-2 4, Jank 2-4 0-0 4, Volcy 0-0 0-0 0, Tuitele 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 29-60 14-18 80.
UTAH (7-5, 0-1)
Moore 3-8 1-1 8, Torres 2-5 0-0 5, Gylten 5-8 1-2 13, Maxwell 1-7 2-2 5, Pendande 9-11 2-2 20, Becker 2-4 1-4 7, Martin 0-1 0-0 0, Corbin 1-2 0-0 2, Provo 0-6 2-2 2, Brosseau 2-4 4-4 8, Makurat 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 25-57 13-17 70.
Colorado 23 19 19 19 – 80
Utah 15 15 28 12 – 70
3-point field goals – Colorado 8-17 (Hollingshed 3-5, Clarke 2-6, Sherrod 1-2, Whittaker 1-1, Caylao-Do 1-1, Knight 0-1, Jank 0-1), Utah 7-17 (Gylten 2-2, Becker 2-2, Maxwell 1-5, Torres 1-2, Moore 1-1, Provo 0-3, Martin 0-1, Brosseau 0-1). Rebounds – Colorado 40 (Hollingshed 9), Utah 27 (Pendande 5). Assists – Colorado 15 (Sherrod 10), Utah 16 (Gylten 9). Steals – Colorado 8 (Sherrod, Hollingshed, Knight 2), Utah 12 (Brosseau 4). Turnovers – Colorado 16, Utah 14. Total fouls – Colorado 18, Utah 17. Fouled out – Tuitele. Attendance – 2,415.